food – Page 2

A little garden after all

May 29, 2017 Marie Leave a Comment

So we put a garden out after all. I told myself multiple times that I wasn’t doing it this year. It’s too much to manage with the kid and work and everything else. And then, when it came down to it, Mother’s Day – our usual planting weekend – came and went and things felt off. It didn’t feel right not having a garden. I mentioned as much to the Mr, and with a knowing sigh he just kind of looked at me and said “I’ll get the boxes out of the garage.”

We broke up the dirt in the old spots where the boxes used to be, and then stacked the extras on top to make them deeper this year. Well, the guys did – I sat on the porch drinking a beer :) Today we visited Lowes to buy plenty of potting soil to replenish the nutrients in the soil that we’ve neglected the last two years, along with plants since we didn’t plan on a garden to get seeds started. 3 tomatoes, 2 peppers, an eggplant, kale, and zucchini. I bought some herbs from one of the local school fundraisers, which were half dead by the time I planted them, but I’m hoping they come back now that they’ve got some proper soil to grow in. We planted carrots and radishes, too, just so Declan can watch something grow from seed out there. We potted some Strawberries on Sunday, too – I don’t generally have much luck with them, but Declan LOVES to eat berries so we’re trying them yet again. Raspberries are growing, too, and I’m determined this year to actually use my HopTop for at least one small batch of something boozy.

We bought a new grill this weekend, invited the stepson and his family up (that’s the grandbaby with the big pretty eyes – still weird that I’m 32 and a grandma), and made some damn delicious chicken thighs on it. I tried to gussy up the patio a bit to make it cozy, though the birds just poop everywhere so most of the pretty things are temporary items. Tablecloth that can be washed, items that get brought inside after we’re done, etc. How on earth do people keep outdoor furniture clean?! I feel like every time I want to use the table I have to wash the whole thing down – there’s no popping outside and just hanging out back there. Maybe because our patio is covered so the dust just collects without any rain to wash it off? I don’t even know. I’m working on finding some cute things to hang up on the side of the house to decorate a bit more. Maybe a cute wood wall hanging/sign painted to look like a barn quilt square? Hmmmm…

Two.

August 7, 2016 Marie 1 Comment

In just a few hours, as we all slumber, the Little Mr turns two. I’d ask where the time has gone, but I have spent the last 3 days snuggling my sick child and know exactly where it went: it went in tears and laughs. It went in bath times and pool days. It went in messy grocery store scenes and fights to stay in seats at restaurants. It went in the bazillion times we read the same books over and over, and the happy messes we made in the kitchen making pancakes or baking cakes. It went with tantrums and snuggles. With gardens and dirt and feeding chickens in his “turtle power” boots. With “knitting” and helping decide which squares of fabric should go where on my in-progress quilt. With tearing apart my craft room but not being able to be too mad because he’s learning hands-on even though it’s a huge pain to re-fold fabric or pick up beads that were dropped (or impossible-to-find empty sewing machine bobbins).

Another year has gone by. I started my day off complaining about my cake. It wasn’t perfect like my Pinterest “inspiration” photo. It wasn’t tall enough. The icing wasn’t thick enough. The layers didn’t bake flat enough because my floors are uneven. I spent my weekend snuggling a poor, sick little one who wanted to be in my arms 24/7. I spent a sleepless night snuggling this child in bed because he wouldn’t sleep anywhere else. I wished for a drink before noon at least two out of the 3 days because the clingyness is too much for this introverted mama with a low touch quota. And then I took the photos of the party and immediately regretted it – I prefer my own eye for photos, but trying to mother and adjust the camera for photos doesn’t work and I should have just left the job to the husband and and and….

But none of that matters, because tomorrow my baby wakes up and is suddenly 2 years old and it all suddenly feels like it’s too fast. It was a year, but it wasn’t enough time. I didn’t get enough snuggles, enough fun days together, enough books to read repeatedly. It’s all much too fast. Much, much too fast.

Happy (early) birthday to me!

June 30, 2016 Marie Leave a Comment

pie-plate pie-plate-detail

Today has not been a very good day, thanks to some nasty stomach pain that I’m pretty sure might be a gallbladder issue and a low grade fever (luckily my new insurance from the job change kicks in tomorrow, so if it persists then it’s off to the doctor.) I actually left work at 12:30, because I had some time to use up from working on Sunday, and had all these plans to go home and get things done. Bake a bit, knit a bit, etc. But then I changed out of my uniform, laid in bed, and before I knew it the clock said 3:30 and it was time to find some motivation to get up and pick up the toddler. Not that I should be complaining about a nap, but I wish it had been on better terms.

Anyway, the mail was delivered and, with it, this lovely “mini” pie plate from Leslie Freeman. A month or so ago I had picked up a Baking for Two magazine, and in it was a recipe for a 6″ pie. I don’t even own a pie plate, let alone a 6″ one, but I love the idea of desserts that are better portioned so I don’t feel a. obligated to eat the whole thing before it goes bad and b. like I’m wasting food by throwing what’s left away. I wasn’t really a fan of the ones I could find on Amazon, and I like handmade, anyway, so I took to Etsy and discovered Leslie’s shop. And that’s when I fell in love with the white crackle. Well, actually, I fell in love with all the pie plates… but this whole downsizing/minimizing my things/paring back thing has been weighing on me and I realized it was better to go with white than a color I may at some point fall out of love with. White is classic. And that crackle? Gorgeous. It matches so well to my marble slab and rolling pin, too (not that it really matters).

So maybe, instead of a birthday cake, I’ll be making a birthday pie. Preferably raspberry, though those I posted yesterday? The ones I had just picked from our bushes? My kid found them in the fridge this morning and ate them all up before we headed out the door. I’m not sure I’ll have enough this weekend to justify even a small pie… but I might try. Or mix it with some peaches or something.

Lilac Jelly

May 22, 2016 Marie Leave a Comment

lilac-jelly

Lilacs? Edible? Oh YES.

A while ago – probably two years ago, really, when I first learned I could make jelly with the cute little violets in our yard – I learned Lilac Jelly was a thing. The trouble was… I didn’t have lilacs. Our neighbors do, but theirs haven’t really bloomed much in the last few years for me to even be able to ask. This recipe has pretty much just hung around in the back of my mind, waiting for a time where I might get my hands on some lilacs at just the right time to try it.

And then this week happened. My new job has lilacs in the flower beds. My coworker went out to pick some to bring into the office, so I asked if she thought it would be okay if I snagged some to take home to try this jelly thing. She didn’t seem to think it was an issue, so on my way out the door for the weekend I snagged a few branches of them.

Now, let me tell you: I had my doubts. The violets don’t smell like lilacs do. And these lilacs were so strong smelling that I really worried that the resulting jelly would be…. well, overpoweringly floral. I doubted myself through this entire process, because even after the lilacs steeped the resulting “tea” was still strong smelling. And even as I cooked it and added the sugar I could still smell it. But I was committed to this process, and it was too late to turn back now. I poured the jelly into the jars, popped them into the water bath canner, and then dug into the leftovers that stuck in the pot with my finger. Yes, that’s right – I ate the jelly straight. Without bread.

And you know? It’s DAMN GOOD. I can’t decide what flavor it reminds me of. The violet jelly reminds me a bit of berries… this lilac jelly version has a hint of peach, I think? I could be crazy, though. And now I know, if the apocalypse ever hits, that I have one more thing I can forage and cook/eat. :)

Edit to add: This is the recipe I used, but I only used it loosely since it looked to be the exact same process as I’ve been using for the violet jelly version.

Look at that color!

May 7, 2016 Marie Leave a Comment

spoons

I know it’s May, and I should be talking about garden plantings… but I can’t. Not because I don’t want to, but because I literally cannot seem to get into the garden to get it cleaned out so I can even attempt to plant because of all this rain we’ve been getting. As soon as it gets dry enough to try to get out there, it rains again! It seems like our spring is a bit delayed, so instead of traditionally planting on Mother’s Day weekend we’re going to be a week or more behind. Oh well.

In my attempt to be somewhat productive, I’ve been trying to (slowly) clean and re-organize and take inventory in the kitchen. Last night the Mr and I had a lovely date night away to Columbus, and while in the area I popped into Sur La Table, which I can never resist when I’m nearby. It’s fun to look at all the kitchen pretties and dream of a different kitchen decor, or all the things I’d make if I had the time and calories didn’t count, etc. I picked up a container of this Boos Block Board Cream to refresh my (very worn) cutting board and spoons. I’m afraid to say that I bought that cutting board years ago (like, when I was 18 and moved out on my own and had all these hopes and dreams about how fancy my life would be that I’d need a wood board for cheese and wine parties and such) and this is the first time I’ve done anything to it. The poor thing was so parched and dried out looking. But the difference that board cream makes is phenomenal! The wood glows beautifully now, though you can see all the abuse I put it through over the years. If I remember right, Alicia over at Posie Gets Cozy posted a recipe she used for some spoon oil, and I think I even bookmarked it with the idea that I’d order the ingredients to make my own… but who am I kidding? I’m a full time working mother who can barely manage to cook anything anymore – ain’t nobody got time for that.

Anyway. The new job is sucking the life out of me. It took me 4 days before I cried when I started, and Friday I thought I’d cry again. Bleh. Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love being busy and having work to do. I love being closer to home. I love that I don’t spend my day surfing the internet and then wishing I could live somewhere where I don’t have internet access because I’m so fed up with my life being spent that way. Butttt it’s a lot of new stuff to learn and every time I feel like I’m getting the hang of something, I discover something new that throws a wrench into everything. It can be very defeating.

On the knitting front… I haven’t really completed anything in a while. I have projects I “nibble” on here and there, but my completion rate has stalled. I have a uniform at this new job, which means no wearing my hand knits to show off and I think that’s changed my willingness to spend hours knitting on a sweater. I mean, sure, I love wearing things I made – that’s a given – but I’m struggling with the concept of “enough.” When 5 days a week I’m wearing a work uniform, that leaves 2ish to wear my own clothes (ish because I can obviously change when I get home, but if I do that I’m either wearing gym clothes or PJs). If I only have a handful of days a week that I can wear those items, what’s the point in buying/making more when my closet is already full? I’m sure I’m probably being a little silly, and this uniform thing is probably more of a blessing than I realize since I’ve struggled with my minimalist ideals and the realities of trying to part ways with my wardrobe… but for now I want to kind of whine about it, haha.

Anyway, that’s about all I can think of so far. Life hasn’t been overly exciting, otherwise. Slogging through books. Attempting to keep the house clean. Trying to find a new normal with the routine change and the ever-evolving life with a toddler… so basically the same thing, just a different day. :)